Laura Mae Lindo MPP, Kitchener Centre

Government of Ontario

FACT CHECK: Ontario’s 30-day testing average just 12,600 tests per day

Ontario in fifth place in Canada for COVID-19 testing

QUEEN’S PARK — Over the last 30 days, Ontario’s COVID-19 testing count has averaged just 12,600 tests per day – far too low to give people the safety they deserve during the economy’s re-opening, says the NDP.

“Over the past 30 days, Ontario has only averaged 12,600 tests a day. That’s far behind what we need to re-open the economy with certainty,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath. “People deserve the safety that will come with an intense program of broad testing within the community, as things like parks and retail business start to open.”

Ontario is also testing fewer people than American states, including Delaware, Washington, Vermont, Illinois, West Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Alaska, Tennessee, Utah, New Mexico, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Dakota, New York and Rhode Island.[2]

And Ontario is far behind a large number of developed countries around the world, including Israel, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Iceland, Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.[3]

Doug Ford’s initial target for testing was 18,900 tests per day. He revised that downward when he was unable to meet those targets.